The Running Game
by spazzymagee23
Summary: The story takes place 3 years before Nick joined the police force. The Running Game, legendary among Zootopias criminals and scum, attracts nick and he finds soon enough that he is in over his head. Will he survive the first night? Will the game bring out his suppressed predatory Blood lust? Or will it all be too much and will it drive him mad.
1. Chapter 1

Setting 3 years before Nick join's the police force.

Nick POV

Zootopia with all of its different regions is a wonderfully diverse place in the day time no more so than central park which acts as the tourist hub for all of Zootopia. There are carnival rides, restaurants and a large forest with winding trails woven between the trees making for a wonderful walk. This made it really popular for the Zootopia residents for couples to take long walks and for families to let their kids experience the outdoors, but come sundown you no longer found the happy children running, nor couples picnicking, for come sundown the running game begins. Consisting mostly of predators the running game consists of 4 teams of 4 with the sole goal of surviving the night, each team starts in a different area and actively hunts the other teams down while getting hunted themselves. While no firearms are allowed any other weapon from clubs to machetes can be used to kill the other teams. These games while highly dangerous were very very lucrative which was why on this night we find nick approaching the gates of central park at sundown. As nick approached the gate he looked to his left to see a weasel leaning against a tree smoking a cigarette "dangerous place for a civilian this time of night" The weasel hissed, barely looking up from his phone. Nick shrugged the comment off and continued into the dimly lit park. Nick decided that night that he would wear darker clothes to help blend in somewhat he wore black khakis and a black coat as well. Along with tightly laced sneakers he also carried a very sharp switchblade just in case. Nick didn't come to the game to participate more so for the betting involved, this was his first time so he didn't plan on getting to into it. Nick approached the raccoon that appeared to be the one taking the bets. Nick walked up, "Id like to put 1000 down on the blue team nick said'. The raccoon pulled a large Bowie knife and placed it at nick's throat, "not so fast growled the raccoon, you want to bet you first have to run, you make it through the night you can bet as much as you want" the raccoon re sheathed the knife and nick exhaled looking the raccoon in the eye "deal" nick growled. Good replied the raccoon "follow me i'll take you to your team". Nick's mind started racing "what the fuck did i just agree to" he thought, "maybe i can just hide or something until morning"... his thoughts were interrupted by loud yelling between a mountain lion and a rottweiler " i'm going to cut your fucking head off tonight you fucking bitch!" The mountain lion yelled. "Is that so" replied the rottweiler, "Once i finish you off I may just go pay your girlfriend a visit, She still working that corner down by the tit bar?" The rottweiler retorted. "Hey hey hey you guys" the raccoon cut in "save it for the game". The yelling animals fell silent and returned to their respective teams, the blue team consisted of the mountain lion, two foxes and a cheetah with a nasty scar running down his face. The red team which is the one nick was placed in had the rottweiler along with a mean looking black panther and a female fox which kept stealing glances at nick making him increasingly nervous. There were two other teams as well one green consisting of four hyenas snickering amongst themselves, and one yellow consisting of a cougar, a timber wolf a raccoon and a tiger. The tiger wore a necklace that appeared to consist of teeth probably around 10-15. Nick glanced around nervously, and leaned over to the female fox " what are we supposed to do now? She whispered back "what are you stupid now we pick our weapons. A large lion wearing a bulletproof vest stood up on the ledge of a fountain and growled out "good evening, chose your weapons now for the team with the most members left at the end wins", $5,000 apiece. Laughter and clapping rose up from the steadily growing number of onlookers. Alright then the lion said, teams get in position and let the game begin.


	2. Chapter 2 The Running Game

Chapter 2

The Running Game

Nick picked a machete that curved slightly forward and was razor sharp, the vixen grabbed a baseball bat wrapped with barbed wire, the rottweiler picked a Bowie knife that was about the length of his forearm, the mountain lion smiled and picked the same. The black panther grabbed a matte black tomahawk that curved to a point on the back. The groups split apart, nick followed behind the rottweiler to their starting point on the bank of the river that runs on the opposite side of the forest making a boundary. Nick looked at the vixen walking next to him, She was strikingly beautiful, in a dangerous sort of way. She wore a tight dark green vest and baggy pants. "What's your name?" nick asked The vixen laughed "it doesn't matter sweetie" she replied, "you won't be alive long enough to use it". Nick continued walking in silence a deep feeling of dread starting to grow in his stomach, by the end of the walk to their starting point, Nick almost felt sick. The Black panther stood with a smile on his face watching nick's obvious discomfort. "You ever kill anyone before he asked" nick shook his head in response. "Thats a shame" the panther growled, "Nothing like it" he continued running a finger down the edge of the tomahawk, this is my 12th game every time it just becomes more and more fun." "My only regret is that you are on my team for your first round" He said smiling revealing his sharp white teeth. Just then a car horn sounded signaling the beginning to the game. The rottweiler ran into the darkened woods shortly followed by the panther, laughing manically finally followed by the vixen who turned and blew Nick a kiss, followed by "maybe if you live i'll tell you my name" as she disappeared into the woods. Nick worked up the courage to enter the darkened woods, his night vision helping tremendously, he followed one of the trails for a little bit nervously looking around, suddenly he heard a crack, he turned and threw himself into the brush on the side of the path. Nick watched as two hyenas exited the brush and stepped onto the path one was carrying a double sided axe and the other held a large serrated knife. I swear i just saw him one hyena hissed to the other, the other hyena stood silently scanning the woods. Nick felt the fur on his back stand up and chills creep down his spine as the hyena looked directly at him, "well hello there" the hyena cackled strutting towards nick. Nick jumped up and turned to run, and was hit in the head by a bat, blackness. Nick woke just a minute later, on his back, on the cold gravel of the walkway, he slowly opened his eyes to see three hyenas standing over him. "Look at this one" the hyena cackled, "his fur's going to look real good on my floor." "Now hold still" the hyena holding the serrated knife said "this is only going to hurt a lot." Nick gasped as one hyena held his shoulders down and he felt the cold serrations of the knife touch his throat. Then he heard a squeal as the hyena standing near his feet was disemboweled by a seemingly invisible enemy, his intestines spilling out onto the trail as he collapsed in a pool of his own blood quivering. Both of the hyenas stood, and one turned and managed to utter the word "fuck!" before eating a baseball bat wrapped with barbed wire. The bat caved his muzzle in entirely. The 3rd hyena lunged at nick with the serrated knife missing his throat but impaling him in his shoulder, nick yelped, drew his switchblade and slit the hyenas throat showering him with crimson blood. Nick rolled the hyena off of him and wiped the blood off his face, the vixen stood over him bloody bat in one hand, while she offered the other to nick. Nick took her hand and she pulled him up to a standing position. Nick winced as he tried to move his right arm the one with the knife buried several inches in his flesh, nick looked past the vixen to see the black panther standing smiling but a silhouette in the night. The vixen looked at the knife in Nick's shoulder, that looks pretty bad, you are going to need surgery to get it out." She said. Just follow me, i'll keep you alive tonight." Nick watched throughout the rest of the night as the vixen brutally killed three other of the animals, including the cheetah and one of the foxes from the blue team, and the raccoon from the yellow team, by the time sun up came around nick had lost quite a bit of blood and felt very light headed. The remaining members of the groups met at the fountain to replace their weapons and see what team won, Nick with the Help of the vixen stumbled out of the woods, to see, One hyena covered in blood with a nasty gash on his cheek, the tiger with 2 fresh teeth he was attempting to add to his necklace, the black panther and lastly the Mountain Lion holding the rottweilers head. Nick sat in the grass as the Lion wearing the bulletproof vest dropped $5,000 in 50's in nick's lap "congratulations" the lion chuckled . Nick lifted himself up and started staggering toward the gate the vixen ran up, and grabbed him around the waste, throwing his good arm over her shoulder. They walked towards nick's car. "Victoria" the vixen said, "What" nick replied. "My names Victoria" she said. "Nice to meet you Victoria, my names Nick."


End file.
